No Valid Railcard

[kaloko]

I have received a notice to prosecute letter from thameslink today.
On Friday 07/03/25 I boarded the train without a valid railcard. I didn’t realise it had expired so I explained this to the ticket inspector and bought a new railcard right away. Checking back I realise I now had bought 3 tickets with an expired rail card. I now realise I was in the wrong. They gave me a witness statement letter and said I will receive communication from them. I would really need help drafting a response as I would like to settle this matter outside of court.

 

[Haywain]

I have received a notice to prosecute letter from thameslink today.
On Friday 07/03/25 I boarded the train without a valid railcard. I didn’t realise it had expired so I explained this to the ticket inspector and bought a new railcard right away. Checking back I realise I now had bought 3 tickets with an expired rail card. I now realise I was in the wrong. They gave me a witness statement letter and said I will receive communication from them. I would really need help drafting a response as I would like to settle this matter outside of court.

Have you received a letter yet? If so, please post a redacted copy here so that we can help.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@kaloko. Welcome to the forum. Were all the occasions on which you travelled, using tickets that were inappropriately discounted, all for the same or similar journey? So, the time you got stopped, and two, or maybe three, previous other occasions. If so, from where to where? Akso, were they return journeys? Just trying to estimate how much an out of court settlement might cost you. The most expensive part will probably be the three figures admin + investigation fee that GTR/Thameslink usually routinely add on.

 

[kaloko]

Have you received a letter yet? If so, please post a redacted copy here so that we can help.

Yes it just arrived today.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Jun 2025 ==

@kaloko. Welcome to the forum. Were all the occasions on which you travelled, using tickets that were inappropriately discounted, all for the same or similar journey? So, the time you got stopped, and two, or maybe three, previous other occasions. If so, from where to where? Akso, were they return journeys? Just trying to estimate how much an out of court settlement might cost you. The most expensive part will probably be the three figures admin + investigation fee that GTR/Thameslink usually routinely add on.

1) return London Euston to Birmingham central
2) single London Blackfriars to Gatwick
3) single Gatwick to London Bridge (the incident)

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

I suggest sending a short, concise reply that mentions:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

You'll find lots of examples in other threads in this section of the forum.

If you post a draft reply in this thread forum members will proof read it for you.

 

[kaloko]

I’ve drafted a response. Would appreciate your feedback.

Dear Fare Evasion Manager,

I am writing to formally acknowledge and take full responsibility for travelling without a valid railcard ticket on 07/03/2025, during my journey from Gatwick to London Bridge. Unfortunately, I only purchased my railcard after boarding the train, which I now recognise was a serious oversight.

I would like to offer my sincere apologies for this error. I now fully understand the wider impact such actions can have on Thameslink and the rail industry as a whole. Please be assured that I take this matter very seriously and will ensure that I always have a valid ticket and accompanying railcard before commencing any future journeys.

I respectfully ask if it might be possible to resolve this matter without court proceedings. I am more than willing to pay the outstanding fare along with any of administrative costs incurred as a result of this incident.

Thank you for your time and for providing me with the opportunity to explain and address the situation.

Yours Sincerely,

 

[Hadders]

That looks ok to me.

 

[kaloko]

That looks ok to me.

That looks ok to me.

Should I include the other incidents which I travelled without a valid railcard

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jun 2025 ==

Thank you for all your help, I’ve been so worried about all this.

 

[30907]

Should I include the other incidents which I travelled without a valid railcard

We generally advise against doing so, unless the letter refers to other fares.

However, if you change "(outstanding) fare" to "...amount" you have covered yourself either way.

 

[kaloko]

Just received a letter today. They have offered an out of court settlement of £109.40, which included the outstanding fare. Thank you for all your help, this is a huge relief, I’m so glad this is all sorted out and I can move on with my life.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@kaloko. Was that a £14.40 Anytime Day Single (Gatwick Airport to London Bridge) + £95.00 admin and investigation fees?

 

[kaloko]

@kaloko. Was that a £14.40 Anytime Day Single (Gatwick Airport to London Bridge) + £95.00 admin and investigation fees?

It seems so, they didn’t break down the costs further.